Book Reviews

Hypnotherapy Explained by Assen Alladin

Dr Alladin is a clinical psychologist and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Foothills Medical Centre and Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Calgary Medical School. His book is a generally excellent exposition of the use of hypnosis in medicine and psychiatry/psychology. It gives the reader theoretical background regarding the nature of hypnosis, outlines broad treatment strategies, and reviews the use of hypnosis with a series of medical and psychological problems. Finally, Dr Alladin outlines his own hypnotherapeutic treatment program for depression which combines cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) with hypnosis.

The section on theories of hypnosis which focuses on Hilgard's neodissociation theory is slightly disappointing given Dr Alladin's obvious knowledge of different strands of hypnosis theory. Dr Alladin also perpetuates a few myths regarding the right hemisphere ("hypnosis, imagery and affect are all predominantly mediated by the same right cerebral hemisphere"). Nevertheless, the focus of the theory chapter is understandable in the context of describing hypnosis to professionals, whose key goal will be clearly explaining hypnosis to their clients.

Dr Alladin provides clear practical instructions and information regarding all stages of practical hypnotherapy, including preparing the patient for hypnosis, induction and deepening (a number of scripts are included), therapeutic suggestions, ego-strengthening, post-hypnotic suggestion, and self-hypnosis. He reinforces the idea that hypnosis is not therapy and that it is best used as an adjunctive tool alongside other therapeutic stragegies, while giving clear advice on how to integrate hypnosis into treatment. More background information and detailed treatment strategies are outlined for a number of conditions including respiratory disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, anxiety disorders, conversion disorders and insomnia, and these are often accompanied by useful scripts to guide the clinican. Greater attention is paid to the treatment of migrane and to the author's programme for the cognitive-behavioural-hypnotherapeutic (CBHT) treatment of depression. This well-developed 16-session treatment program is clearly described and has recently received some empirical support, with CBHT outperforming CBT in a randomized trial (Alladin & Alibhai, 2007).

The final chapter usefully contains comprehensive and up-to-date information about professional hypnosis organizations and opportunities for training worldwide. This is a fascinating book and suitable for any clinicians interested in using hypnosis.
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